Method and apparatus for definition, referencing and navigation across multiple perspectives of an organization

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a method and apparatus for generating and subsequently using a series of graphical perspectives of an organisation. Each of the perspectives includes a series of defined elements which are identified as being part of the perspective. Each element is analysed in each of the perspectives and those which are common to more than one perspective are identified as are those elements which are interconnected and hence refer to each other. A graphical display panel is generated for each perspective which identifies in a dynamic manner those elements which are so connected and said panel can be used a navigational tool in conjunction with a graphical user interface.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus to express and deploy in a visual fashion the definition and referencing between alternative perspectives of an organisation. The method and apparatus give a general way to describe, understand and explore an organisation from multiple points of view that are held in synchronisation. Although described with reference to implementation via apparatus in the form of a computer database it should be appreciated that the method may be adapted to advantage in other ways.

Over recent years, organisations in many industries have recognised and registered benefits from the construction and communication of graphical visualisations of their structures and operations. Such benefits include improvements in the areas of change and performance management, and quality implementation.

However, the following needs are not addressed by current methods:

-   -   A need to be able to define multiple perspectives upon an         organisation, in a completely flexible and unlimited manner         (e.g. geographic, organisational, technical, cultural, . . . ).     -   Within this, a need to be able to define references of general         and unrestricted types between the elements of these         perspectives (e.g. systems used by processes, people responsible         for processes, people needed to be consulted by processes, . . .         ).     -   A need to be able to understand, dynamically, the connexions of         an element within a broader organisational graph, in terms of         its dependencies with other elements, of the same or of         different types.     -   A need to be able to use these visual connexions to navigate         between elements within different perspectives (e.g. to navigate         directly from a process to a system).

One form of prior art is the ability to establish connections between kinds of elements which is important in graphical design tools, and many of the current CASE Tools provide visual mechanisms for connecting specific perspectives (e.g. swimlanes). Such tools, however, fix the perspectives that are available together with the manner in which they are connected. Within this, John Zachman's “Framework for Enterprise Architecture” is the best example of a methodology that defines a finite set of defined perspectives.

A further form of known prior art is the class of general diagramming tools which allow completely flexible connectivity between elements. As such tools have no underlying schema, the meaning associated with a diagram is either added by annotation, or assumed to be expressed orally (i.e. as the diagram is presented).

A component approach to software construction is also known which has yielded valuable improvements in development and management of systems. Innovations originating from that work are various; see, for example EP0883057 “Method and apparatus for software component analysis” and WO0122331 “Method for defining an executable business model”.

Related to this approach is the notion of autonomous intelligent software agents, which have been widely reported in recent years. A number of patents have emerged (e.g. WO0102952 “Improved Software Interface Agent”). Such inventions assert a component approach to software construction whereby components are able to perform “intelligently” through deployment of sophisticated analysis techniques including “learning”.

A yet further known form of prior art includes graphical approaches to business development and transformation which increasingly play a significant part in business change programmes. In a previous invention (British Patent Application No. 0112277.9 “Flexible and direct navigation”), a navigation mechanism has been described. In another (British patent Application No. 0118491.0 “Visual Synchronisation”), a mechanism has been described to synchronise hierarchy and graphical views of an organisation.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for the development, of an organisational representation, said representation including a plurality of different perspectives of the organisation, or part thereof, each perspective including a plurality of elements and wherein at least one of the elements is common to at least two of the perspectives.

In one embodiment, references between different elements of different perspectives are included in the representation.

In one embodiment, for each perspective, each element is assessed with respect to the possible dependencies on other elements in the same or other perspectives and where, identified a visual indication generated.

Typically a visual indication of the representation, perspectives, elements, and interrelations between the same is generated via a display monitor.

The present invention is based on the insight that a key requirement for business development is the ability to manage in a flexible way connections between diverse perspectives. Its innovation is in the way that it responds to this requirement in such a general and flexible way, together with the facility to use such connections as a navigation mechanism to move around and between perspectives.

Through the method, a graphical organisational model is created, using capabilities that are structured so as to describe the construction of an organisation in terms of its diverse perspectives, each of which is defined in terms of component parts. The component parts of different perspectives might be defined in different terms, i.e. according to natural properties of the perspective. References between components are defined, such that an element within one perspective (e.g. a country) might refer to elements in another (e.g. plants situated in that country). Upon visual models, info panels list the referred elements in such a way that they can be navigated. The listed elements are updated dynamically in the event of change (e.g. as soon as a plant is moved to another country, the info panel against the country (i.e. plants situated) would update to show the change.

The invention therefore provides a method and apparatus for business development which allows effective and efficient navigation through various perspectives of an organisation.

In one embodiment, the invention provides the user with the ability to be able to define multiple perspectives upon an organisation, in a completely flexible and unlimited manner (e.g. geographic, organisational, technical, cultural, . . . ) and, within this the ability to define references of general and unrestricted types between the elements of these perspectives (e.g. systems used by processes, people responsible for processes, people needed to be consulted by processes, . . . ), together with the ability to understand dynamically the connexions of an element within a broader organisational graph, in terms of its dependencies with other elements, of the same or of different types, and the ability to use these visual connexions to navigate between elements within different perspectives (e.g. to navigate directly from a process to a system).

The present invention describes a method and apparatus to deploy and utilise a graphical representation of an organisation expressed in terms of multiple perspectives and their interactions, to support analysis, design, implementation and management.

A preferred embodiment contained herein shows the invention implemented as a graphical structuring and diagramming facility, together with a generalised definition facility, plus an “info panel™”—a mechanism for dynamic display and navigation, within a business development and transformation system using a graphical user-interface.

The present invention enables the flexible definition of arbitrary perspectives, which can be connected in user-defined ways. Furthermore, the present invention can automatically display current references and enable the user to navigate using these.

The present invention codifies connections between elements. This means that changes within one perspective can be automatically detected and displayed in another (e.g. removal of a system upon which processes are dependent).

A specific embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:—

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of the current invention in one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a schematic representation of the invention in which the following method steps are followed:—

i. Define the relevant perspectives or views of the organisation, including the set of properties by which elements within these different perspectives will be defined.

-   -   (a) Establish a general pool of elements or fields.     -   (b) Assign elements or fields to the appropriate perspectives

ii. Construct a graphical model within and for each defined perspective.

Analyse the elements defined within each perspective and where applicable generate references to other elements within the same or different perspectives such that these references will be viewable by a user.

iii For each or any model within any or all of the perspectives select the information panels to be generated which show the elements for each perspective and which show the current state of references between elements in that and other perspectives at any given time of use, said information panels changing in condition in response to any changes which are made to the elements within the representation.

iv. Use these references and hence the elements to navigate around graphical representations of the organisation within and between perspectives in a connected way using a graphical user interface tool.

Typically the above steps are utilised in conjunction with suitable software and at least one display screen on which the graphical representations can be generated and with which the user can interact.

In one embodiment, the apparatus deployed can include a business development and transformation tool. A software system providing a graphical user interface for the definition and manipulation of the elements and structures described in the method. General mechanisms for definition of perspectives, properties, referencing, display and navigation. Within the software system, a mechanism that supports automatic display of current reference values.

The functionality of the “information panel” mechanism provides a powerful user experience of information and navigation, which delivers the ability for an organisation to understand, communicate and analyse its complexity and potential to change.

In one preferred embodiment, graphical models are used to define and communicate best practice within an organisation, with the potential benefit of enhanced business performance and the reduction in risk of failures of adherence to best practise, whether that best practise is defined within the organisation or by a regulatory body.

Within such models that describe best practice, a very large number of elements in the form of personnel capabilities typically inter-relate in a complex manner. The ability to maintain a contextual view of these capabilities is important to developing and communicating a sound understanding of how the organisation is structured, and to describing how it operates at various levels of abstraction. Consequently, a combination of synchronised views or perspectives of the organisation is an important contribution to successful organisation development.

The invention described in this patent can be used as a central resource within an organisational development and change management methodology and toolset. Through the method, an arbitrary number of perspectives of an organisation may be created. For example, one may describe it in terms of its operational processes, another in terms of its underlying systems architecture, and another in terms of its organisational accountabilities and reporting. With this method and apparatus each of these perspectives can be defined uniquely and described in a manner that is natural for that perspective. References between perspectives can be defined in a flexible, bidirectional manner with reference to the elements which are designated to each perspective.

The dependencies within and between elements in the perspectives are visually and dynamically available via a graphical representation to a user of the method. Furthermore, linkages within and between perspectives can be exploited for the purposes of navigating through the overall model.

The current invention differs from the prior art software component management systems in that, the components represent more general business (and not necessarily software) capabilities. Secondly, the capabilities are not intended for execution as occurrences within a software system, but are intended for analysis and communication purposes by organisation designers and quality managers. This does not preclude the use of one of the capabilities as a design for a software component. Thirdly, and following from the second, the structuring and navigation mechanisms offer functions not required, and so not provided, by such other methods; e.g. automatic navigation between alternative views.

The current invention builds upon both of these inventions by permitting wider definition of alternative perspectives, referencing and navigating between these via Info Panels, thus increasing the power and effectiveness of the approach. 

1. A method for the development of an organisational representation, said representation including a plurality of different perspectives of the organisation, or part thereof, each perspective including a plurality of elements and wherein at least one of the elements is common to at least two of the perspectives.
 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein references between different elements of different perspectives are included in the representation.
 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein for each perspective each element is assessed with respect to the possible dependencies on other elements in the same or other perspectives.
 4. A method according to claim 3 wherein if a dependency is identified a visual indication is generated.
 5. A method according to claim 4 wherein a visual indication of the representation, perspectives, elements, and interrelations between the same is generated for viewing via a display screen.
 6. A method according to claim 1 wherein elements which appear in two or more of the perspectives are indicated visually in each perspective in which the said element appears.
 7. A method according to claim 1 wherein connections between elements in different perspectives are visually indicated.
 8. A method according to claim 7 wherein connections are used as a navigation mechanism to move around and between perspectives.
 9. A method according to claim 1 wherein a graphical organisational representation model is created, using capabilities that are structured so as to describe the construction of an organisation in terms of its diverse perspectives, each of which is defined in terms of elements thereof.
 10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the elements of different perspectives are defined using selected terms.
 11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the selected terms are properties of the perspective and references between elements are defined, such that an element within one perspective refers to an element in another perspective.
 12. A method according to claim 1 wherein a visual representation includes an information display which lists the referred elements in such a way that they can be navigated.
 13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the listed elements are updated dynamically in the event of change to that element or an element which is referred to.
 14. A method according to claim 1 wherein the user has the ability to define multiple perspectives of an organisation with reference to elements of each of said perspectives.
 15. A method according to claim 14 wherein references are generated of general and unrestricted types between the elements in the perspectives and connections of each element within the organisation are defined in terms of the elements dependencies with other elements, of the same or of different types.
 16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the connections are used to navigate between elements within different perspectives.
 17. A method according to claim 1 wherein the representation is generated as a graphical structuring and diagramming facility, together with a generalised definition facility, and includes a mechanism for dynamic display and navigation using a graphical user-interface.
 18. A method for generating and subsequently using a series of graphical perspectives of an organisation each perspective including a series of defined elements which are identified as being part of the perspective, each element analysed in each of the perspectives and those elements common to more than one perspective are identified, as are those elements which are interconnected and hence refer to each other wherein a graphical display panel is generated for each perspective which identifies in a dynamic manner those elements which are so connected and said panel used as a navigational tool in conjunction with a graphical user interface to allow user navigation between each of the graphical perspective displays. 